This book offers a unique account of Christopher Columbus s first voyage, the most consequential voyage in world history. It provides a detailed day-by-day account of the explorer s travels and activities, richly illustrated with thematic maps. This work expands our understanding of Columbus s first voyage by mapping his sea and land experiences, offering both a historical and geographical exploration of his first voyage. Traveling chronologically through events, the reader builds a spatial insight into Columbus s perspectives that confused and confirmed his pre-existing notions of Asia and the Indies, driving him onward in search of new geographic evidence. Drawing from a diverse range of primary and secondary historical resources, this book is beautifully adorned with illustrations that facilitate an in-depth exploration of the connections between the places Columbus encountered and his subsequent social interactions with Indigenous people. This methodology allows the reader to better understand Columbus s actions as he analyzes new geographic realities with pre-existing notions of the Indies. Attention is given to Columbian primary sources which analyze how those materials have been used to create a narrative by historians. Readers will learn about the social and political structures of the Lucayan, Taino, and Carib peoples, achieving a deeper understanding of those pre-Columbian cultures at the time of contact. The book will appeal to students and researchers in the disciplines of history, geography, and anthropology, and the general reader interested in Colombus.
